Guitar Lessons in Burr Ridge, IL

Instruments: Guitar Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I have a strong background in the fingerpicking style so I naturally gravitate towards the acoustic guitar. But my teaching style overall has more to do with expression and feel. Developing control with both hands. Understanding the importance of intonation. And most importantly, listening to your instrument. Afterall, music is how we hear sounds we like. Over time, how we listen will help us play better to further our ability as musicians. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Ukulele Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My methods vary according to the student.  If the student is less than 12 years old, I like to use the Hal Leonard Method 1 book.  If the student is 12 or older, I may still use the Hal Leonard book, but I assess the students goals, and find out what they would like to learn.  Whatever style of music the student is interested in learning, I believe in teaching proper posture and sound technique.  For anyone interested in learning classical guitar, I recommend a book titled Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums

I started teaching towards the end of high school and continued in college and beyond! I found it beneficial to be teaching students while still being a student myself. Having great teachers in my life has shaped my own approach to teaching. I discovered that when I was able to study what I was truly excited about, my capacity to learn and improve my craft increased exponentially! To that end, I encourage students to bring in original material as well as "covers" that they are interested in to build a repertoire. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Voice Bass Guitar Double Bass Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My approach is simple: find out what the student wants to gain from lessons with me, and work towards that goal. To do that I try to break the larger goal into simpler ones, so that students can experience the journey of learning something new, and can not only meet their goals but exceed them and walk away with something they can enjoy for the rest of their lives. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Voice Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I've played music for over half my life now, and guitar has shaped my life for the better in ways I've never thought possible. Throughout that time, I've taught lessons on and off for the past 7 years. I have always enjoyed teaching, and passing on my knowledge and hopefully my passion for playing the guitar and songwriting has always been a wonderful experience. One of my favorite things about teaching is that when I dissect every element of my playing to be able to teach it to someone else, by the time I've shown someone else a new technique, I've found that my own playing improves. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Mandolin Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Music is not a sport. Learning music takes patience, from the student and the teacher, and time. The joy of music comes from continually moving forward, and ever closer, to the ultimate goal of learning a song or piece and having the confidence to perform in front of family, friends, and even fans. No two students learn the same way, and will never sound alike, no matter how hard they try. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Electric Guitar

My teaching style is that I set a plan for every student I have. For instance, I will apply reading notes, but that will not work for each student, each student is different and would prefer another style of teaching. That's when i would test their own level of memorization. I would teach each student chord structure of memorizing maximum 2 chords. Once each student fully has the 2 chords memorized I would hand them a sheet of paper, giving them instructions on top of the paper, stating Now that you have mastered memorizing the chords I would want you to come up with a small melody by building a staff with a time signature and writing the notes on the sheet of paper. Read More